Kasuri pays obeisance at Golden Temple

Amritsar, Nov 28 (UNI) Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri today said the common man in both India and Pakistan ''desired peace and friendship, but unfortunately there are certain elements on both sides who do not want this''.

''People-to-people contact between the two neighbouring countries improved in the last few years,'' he said in an informal interaction with mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple along with his wife Nafrine.

When pointed out that weapons were recently recovered from the Samjautha Express at the Attari railway station after the train had come from Lahore, Mr Kasuri said, ''The administration of both the countries is responsible for this.'' The ongoing Composite Dialogue Process between the two countries had been moving in the right direction, he said, adding, he was eagerly awaiting the visit of his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

Mr Mukheree is scheduled to visit Islamabad on January 13 next year for talks to carry forward the dialogue process.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister, who was on a private visit to India, said he was carrying a letter from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to formally invite him to attend the SAARC Summit in New Delhi next year.

Mr Kasuri described his talks with Mr Mukherjee in New Delhi as 'fruitful''. There was need to develop the relationship between the two nations further, he added.

Before departing for the Wagah border, Mr Kasuri and his wife were presented with 'siropas' and a picture of the Golden Temple by Harmandir Sahib Manager Harbhajan Singh.

Mr Kasuri had arrived in New Delhi on Saturday last to attend the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer, his friend since their Cambridge days.

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